K12 Training Award

The Harvard Catalyst K12 Training Award provides two years of salary support at 75% of the awardee’s institutional salary base, up to the K12 NIH salary cap of $160,000 (i.e., $120,000 would be covered). Surgeons may request reduced effort between 50% and 75%. Earliest start is October 1, 2026.

The K12 Training Award program provides advanced training in clinical and translational research to fellows who will transition to faculty by October 1, 2026, and early-career faculty, within 3 years of their first faculty appointment, from all health professions, including medicine, dentistry, and nursing.

Awardees will pursue a mentored research project in their area of expertise, and it is expected that the research performed within the K12 Training Award program will provide the basis for a subsequent NIH Career Development (K) or independent award (e.g., K23, K08, or R01).

The K12 Training Award program will help scholars to advance their clinical-translational research, overseen by a primary mentor (and an optional co-mentor) and further enhanced by a dedicated Mentorship Advisory Committee, which will be formed once the award period has commenced. Each awardee will work with their mentor to develop and execute a work plan for their research project.

Mentors must be accomplished investigators in clinical-translational research and have a track record of success in training new investigators and fostering their success as independent, NIH-funded, researchers.

The K12 Training Award program requires a significant time commitment and dedication, including, for example, mandatory monthly meetings, participation in the Mentor Advisory Committee process (for first-year awardees), and periodic one-on-one meetings with the program PI. Awardees are expected to meet these requirements if selected for funding. Mentors are expected to participate in mentorship training if they have not completed a formal training program in the past.

Training will include courses, programs, and the monthly mandatory Translate Together group meetings. These courses and programs will cover the broad translational spectrum and will focus on developing innovative solutions that improve human health. The program also offers individualized career development plans, leadership training, visibility through participation in the national CTSA Visiting Scholar Program, and mentorship training, to ensure the success of each scholar as a translational scientist, as envisioned by NCATS.

We encourage applicants from all health disciplines who meet the following criteria:

• Must be a U.S. citizen, or permanent resident holding a green card by the application deadline of April 13, 2026 (those with other visa status are not eligible to apply due to NIH rules for this grant mechanism).
• Must have a doctoral degree.
• As this award is intended for Harvard researchers, applicants must already hold a full-time fellowship or junior faculty position at HMS, or HSPH; or an HMS or HSPH-affiliated institution by the program start date of October 1, 2026.
• Additionally, applicants must either have a full-time faculty appointment (at either HMS or HSPH) or must be guaranteed a faculty position within the first 12 months of the award period.
  • Applicants who do not yet have a current faculty appointment may still apply but will be asked to provide written verification of their pending faculty appointment with a start date no later than September 30, 2027. (Please note that this pending appointment must be irrespective of the outcome of the application.)
  • Applicants with a current faculty appointment must be within the first three years of their initial faculty appointment. The three-year limit will include appointments at all previous and current institutions. For the purposes of this application, time spent on leave (personal, parental, medical, etc.) does not count. If you believe this circumstance may be relevant to your application, please e-mail us for pre-approval to apply.
• Must be able to commit 75% of professional effort to the program, except for surgeons, who may be eligible to commit as little as 50%.
• Must ensure that the remaining salary support (not provided by the K12 grant) will come from a non-federal source.
• Must not be or have been a principal investigator on an NIH R01, or a project leader on a subproject of a Program Project (P01), Center (P50, P60, U54), any mentored career development grant (K23, K08, K01, etc.), or equivalent non-PHS peer-reviewed research grants that are more than $100,000 in direct costs per year.
• At the time of appointment to the K12 must not have a current application for another mentored K award (e.g., K23, K08) submitted, or under review.
• Must be pursuing a career path in clinical-translational research.
• Must propose a clinical-translational research project.
• NIH rules now prohibit this K12 program from supporting projects that involve animals, a foreign component (see definitions below), or clinical trials beyond phase IIB.

• • Inclusion of Animals: The NIH definition of animal: Any live, vertebrate animal used or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, or for related purposes.
  • Inclusion of a foreign component: The NIH definition of a Foreign Component is as follows: ‘The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended. Activities that would meet this definition include, but are not limited to, (1) the involvement of human subjects or animals, (2) extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities, or (3) any activity of the recipient that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy through involvement in the affairs or environment of a foreign country. Examples of other grant-related activities that may be significant are:
    • collaborations with investigators at a foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship;
    • use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site; or
    • receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity.

Two years from the appointment start date.

RFA Announcement: February 18, 2026

Applications Due: April 13, 2026 (6:00pm EST)

Endorsements Due: April 20, 2026 (6:00pm EST)

Review Process: April 13 through late-May 2026

Funding Decisions Announced: June 2026

Funding Start Date: October 1, 2026

The K12 Training Award application will be available online beginning on February 18, 2026. You will be required to upload several pdf files as part of your application. Please have all files prepared and completed before you begin the application process.

The application includes the following components:

1. Applicant Information
2. Research Proposal
3. NIH Biosketch
4. Statement (Letter) of Intent, or NIH 398 Face Page
5. Endorsement Information
6. Division Chief/Department Attestation
7. Primary Mentor Letter and Biosketch
8. Secondary Mentor Letter (Optional)

Applicants will be asked to provide the following information:

• Project Title
• Full Name
• Contact Information
• Degree(s)
• Research Interests
• Position / Rank
• Citizenship Status
• Primary Institution and Department
• Work Contact Information

Applicants will be asked to provide the information detailed in Sections A through H below and should download and utilize the Research Proposal template (Word Doc).

• Section A: What is the health problem you are addressing and why is it important? What is the gap in knowledge you are addressing? Response limited to 400 words.
• Section B: Provide a summary of your previous research experience. Particularly useful would be a summary of a completed project that has been submitted for publication or has been published. Response limited to 400 words.
• Section C: Provide a summary of your previous formal educational activities. If you have participated in a degree program in addition to a doctorate degree, please provide a brief description of the program’s objectives. If you have taken previous formal course work relevant to clinical and translational research, provide a brief description of each course. Response limited to 200 words.
• Section D: Provide an overview of your short-term and long-term career goals and outline any gaps in your training. Your short-term training goals should address these gaps. Include at least two specific Education and Training goals you plan to achieve through the K12 award. For each specific Education and Training Goal, include which of your mentor(s) will supervise the activity, as well as any specific courses, conferences and/or other training opportunities you have identified. Responses limited to 400 words.
• Section E: Please provide a general outline of your proposed K12 research project. Please provide as much detail as possible within the word limit, including Background/Significance, Hypothesis, Specific Aims, Methods, including statistics, and Potential Pitfalls. Response limited to 1,250 words. Up to a total of four tables/figures may be included.
• Section F: What were the reasons for your mentor selection(s)? Responses limited to 150 words.
• Section H: Please include a brief statement on the clinical-translational significance of your research project. Responses limited to 100 words.

Please be sure to adhere to the word count for each of the Research Proposal sections. Circumventing the word limit by using lengthy figure legends and similar strategies is highly discouraged and may adversely affect your chances of funding.

Lastly, please save a PDF copy of your completed file as follows: LastName_Research Proposal.

The form (either one is acceptable) must be signed by the applicant’s institutional official. Please work with your department’s grants manager, or administrative official, to submit the application materials for an internal review and identify the correct form.

When completing your Statement of Intent, you may need the following details:

• Period of Performance:2 years (10/1/2026 through 9/30/2028)
• Prime Site:Harvard Medical School (HMS)
• Prime PI:Karen K. Miller, MD

Budget Information:

• 75% of your Salary Base, up to the NIH Cap of $160,000 (i.e., 75% of up to $160,000, a maximum of $120,000 per year)
• Applicable Fringe Benefits
• $10,000 in Research Support
• Indirect costs (or F&A) is 8%

Save a PDF copy of the completed SOI form as follows: LastName_SOI.

Applicants will be asked to provide the following information as part of the online application for each of their endorsers (Division Chief/Department Chair, Primary Mentor, and optional Secondary Mentor):

• Name
• Email Address
• Primary institution
• Department/Division

Once you submit your application, the individuals listed in the “Endorsement Information” section of the online application will automatically receive an e-mail with instructions on how to submit their endorsements and/or letters, attestations and materials. Please ensure that the contact information you provide is correct and current.

Please also be sure to inform your endorsers after you have submitted your application so that they know to expect an e-mail from the program and are prepared to submit their attestations and/or letters in a timely manner. These attestations and letters must be received by 6:00pm EST on April 20, 2026. Please note that endorsers and letter writers will not have access to your application materials, and you will not have access to their letters.

Reviewers will assess whether the mentorship letters express commitment to advancing the mentee’s research project, research training and research career, and the likelihood that the program will meet the candidate’s career goals. Additional information with respect to review criteria for these letters is included in the following sections.

The Division Chief / Department Chair identified in the “Endorsement Information” section of the application will be asked to submit an attestation guaranteeing 75% of protected time (or less if applicable, e.g. for surgeons requesting less effort per NIH rules) through the duration of the K12 Training Award for the applicant to pursue the education and research goals of the program, with the remaining percent effort being devoted to an appropriate balance of research, teaching, administrative, and/or clinical responsibilities. This attestation will be made available online and a link will automatically be sent when the application is submitted.

Once you submit your application, the Primary Mentor identified by you will be asked to submit a signed letter of recommendation on institutional letterhead and in PDF format. This letter must attest that the remaining salary support (not provided by Harvard Catalyst) will come from a non-federal source through the duration of the K12 Training Award.

Application reviewers will be looking for the following:

• Is there clear commitment of the Primary Mentor to ensure that the remaining salary support (not provided by Harvard Catalyst) will come from a non-federal source through the duration of the K12 Training Award?
• Is there a clear commitment and plan on the part of the mentor to advance the mentee’s research project, research training and research career?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the candidate’s research and career development progress?
• Are the Primary Mentor’s research qualifications in the area of the proposed research appropriate?
• Does the Primary Mentor adequately address the candidate’s potential and their strengths?

They should PDF the letter and lable: LastName_1M_Letter

Primary Mentor Biographical Sketch (also referred to as a “biosketch”)
Both, the old and the new Biosketch format are acceptable for this application. File should be labled:  LastName_Biosketch.

Lastly, Primary Mentors will be asked to submit an attestation with respect to mentor-specific training. Two options will be made available:

1. The mentor has already completed mentor training via the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), which is now offered through Harvard, or through an equivalent mechanism.
2. Within the first year of the award period, the mentor will complete mentor training via the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), which is now offered through Harvard, or through an equivalent mechanism.  Alternatively, mentors can complete the T32 Mentorship Training Certificate Course created by Karen Miller, MD, and offered by Harvard Catalyst. This short On-Demand course, offered freely to Harvard affiliates, allows mentors to self-enroll and complete the course at their own pace with the option of earning a certificate of completion.

If desired, applicants may include a letter from a Secondary Mentor. If so, once the application has been submitted, the Secondary Mentor will also be asked to submit a signed letter of recommendation on institutional letterhead and in PDF format. The review criteria for this letter are the same as those for the Primary Mentor.

They should save the letter as:  LastName_2M_Letter.

Secondary Mentors will be asked to submit an attestation with respect to mentor-specific training. Two options will be made available:

1. The mentor has already completed mentor training via the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), which is now offered through Harvard, or through an equivalent mechanism.
2. Within the first year of the award period, the mentor will complete mentor training via the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), which is now offered through Harvard, or through an equivalent mechanism. Alternatively, mentors can complete the T32 Mentorship Training Certificate Course created by Karen Miller, MD, and offered by Harvard Catalyst. This short On-Demand course, offered freely to Harvard affiliates, allows mentors to self-enroll and complete the course at their own pace with the option of earning a certificate of completion.

Completed applications must be submitted by 6:00pm ET on Monday, April 13, 2026. Endorsement materials, which include online attestations from Division Chiefs / Department Chairs as well as letters from Primary / Secondary Mentors, must be submitted by 6:00pm ET on Monday, April 20, 2026.

If you require any assistance with your application preparation and submission, please  email K12Application@catalyst.harvard.edu and the team will be glad to assist you.

Completed applications submitted by 6:00pm EST on April 13, 2026, with all required endorsements submitted by 6:00pm EST on April 20, 2026, will be assigned reviewers.

The review process will occur from mid-April through the end of May. Funding decisions will be issued in June.

Please note that there will be no interviews for this application cycle.

All applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email, which will be the primary mode of communication.

Salary caps are determined by the NIH. The maximum allowed salary support amount over a 12-month period is $120,000, so at 75% effort that translates to a base max of $160,000.

No budget or budget justification is required.

Graphics and citations are not counted against the application’s overall word count. We do ask, however, that you consider the reviewers’ time when writing your application. Please keep all graphics, citations, etc. to a minimum. Circumventing the word limit by using lengthy figure legends and similar strategies is highly discouraged.

Applicants with current faculty appointments must be within the first three years of their initial faculty appointment as of the application due date. The three-year limit will include appointments at all previous and current institutions. However, time spent on a formal leave (personal, parental, medical, etc.) does not count as part of an appointment period. If you believe this circumstance may be relevant to your application, please e-mail us for pre-approval.

Yes. NIH rules now prohibit this K12 program from supporting projects that involve animals, a foreign component (see definitions below), or clinical trials beyond phase IIB.

• Inclusion of Animals: The NIH definition of animal: Any live, vertebrate animal used or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, or for related purposes.
• Inclusion of a foreign component: The NIH definition of a Foreign Component is as follows: ‘The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended. Activities that would meet this definition include, but are not limited to, (1) the involvement of human subjects or animals, (2) extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities, or (3) any activity of the recipient that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy through involvement in the affairs or environment of a foreign country. Examples of other grant-related activities that may be significant are:
  • collaborations with investigators at a foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship;
  • use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site; or
  • receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity.